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Show By FRANK H. SPEARMAN Frank H. Spearman WNU Servic through the big gate or just what had actually happened. Bowie did not slow the almost uncontrollable horses until they had reached cover cov-er In the doubly dark alameda. Carmen Car-men parted from his embrace slowly: slow-ly: it seemed such a natural place to rest her head, and in her ear close to his breast she had heard his heartbeat. , Suddenly she remembered herself. "Darling, are you hurt? Tell me quick!" "No, vida mia, no. But you?" he whispered. She laughed low and cautiously. "I am not. Thank God, we are safe." "I think so, but we may be pur- "We will wait for two more angels, an-gels, Padre Martinez," suggested Bowie. "Pardaloe and Simmie will be here any minute. What I want to do is to find the senorita quick, to quiet her fears." It was only his searching voice in the house that drew Carmen from her hiding place to find refuge in his arms. "We've been frightened to death at home, my dearest," he whispered. "Tell me what's happened? hap-pened? Carmen, you are safe, darling, dar-ling, safe. Tell me." A gleam of light flamed through the high window. "What is that?" whispered Carmen. Car-men. "Nothing to worry about They your old mission, I can and will find it for you!" "It's a dark night, Blood," suggested sug-gested Bowie. "Better wait till morning." Blood stamped ferociously on the tile pavement. He roared at Bowie. He stormed at the padre. "Don't depend on me to hold these hungry boys back. I can't do it. They want money and they want supplies and they'll burn this place to the ground if they don't get both." "Blood, you're wasting your breath," intervened Bowie. "If you or your ruffians try to touch so much as a strip of bacon here tonight somebody will get killed. Now I'm going to shut this door and go to CHAPTER XVII Continued 17 Hardly had the two faced about when the clatter of hoofs behind them indicated they were being followed. fol-lowed. They broke the ponies into a swift lope; their pursuers rode faster. Fortunately, the distance was but short, and, as dusk fell. Felipe and Carmen dashed safely through the opened doors into the mission compound and Felipe, leaping leap-ing from his horse, closed the clumsy clum-sy gates behind them. The clattering horsemen pulled up in front of the church and with many shouts and oaths scattered over the plaza, demanding admission. admis-sion. Felipe, though mild, was game in a pinch. He caught up a blunderbuss blunder-buss from the guards' quarters and coaxed two neophytes to arm and appear with him in the church tower. tow-er. The raiders yelled at them and one of them, a renegade mission mis-sion Indian, shouted insolently to Felipe to open the gates or they would break them open. Felipe, equally defiant, declared he would shoot the first man that attempted it There were hesitation and wran- sued. I hope not. Now I will give you a more comfortable seat" "What is that, 'Quito mio?" Carmen Car-men spoke from her own saddle and her voice betrayed her acute alarm. Bowie noticed the low sharp rumbling. rum-bling. But he was so alert to the danger of pursuit that he did not at first comprehend. He was not left long In doubt The rumbling grew instantly louder. loud-er. The horses became unmanage- were getting wood together for a bonfire when I soented the outfit You see, my precious one," he continued con-tinued gravely, "this is what this beautiful country is coming to. These ruffians are as bad as the savages and with no more regard for women. Come back with me to the sacristy. Pardaloe and Simmie Sim-mie will be here very soon." But Pardaloe and Simmie, arriving arriv-ing soon, brought disquieting news. The disturbance in the plaza had all been made by six or eight of the bed, and I advise you xo no me same." "Bowie, I've got a long score to settle with you " "Wait till daylight, Blood. I'm going to bed." He slammed the door shut Clamor outside grew to a roar. A hasty conference took place in the sacristy the despairing fathers, fa-thers, the Texans and Felipe, with Carmen anxiously listening. Bowie did not seek to disguise the situation. With twenty or thirty men behind him, Blood's boast that he gling threats among the horsemen. They milled around the plaza, while within the church Padre Martinez j and all in the mission enclosure were on their knees before the Blessed Sacrament, beseeching heaven for aid in the extremity. An hour or more passed, with the raiders raid-ers churning about the plaza but shy about testing Felipe's marksmanship marks-manship from the tower. At length the renegade rode up to the tower for a talk with Felipe. He explained that the party were squatters from the Melna and had no grudge against the mission If they were treated right The only man they wanted to square accounts with was Bowie, and if he were sent out they would leave. Felipe, less shrewd ,than the rene- would clean the mission out mignt be a serious one. Simmie noticed that Bowie looked grave. He knew the Texan was not squeamish about facing odds. But Carmen's presence pres-ence was another matter. Should anything happen to him in the fight, what might happen to her? He asked Carmen to step outside a moment. He then spoke to Padre Martinez. . "I'm put in an awkward position, Padre. I don't like to seem to run away from you in face of these drunken devils. But my first responsibility is for Senorita's safety, safe-ty, and if they made good their threat to fire the mission, she might find herself in the worst kind of danger." Padre Martinez laid his hand on Bowie's arm. "I understand per- able. rney snooK wun ienur. n. deafening roar burst on the ears. Of a sudden Carmen and Bowie were rocked In their saddles the earth was heaving in terrifying waves. "Temblor!" gasped Carmen. Car-men. "Temblor!" Bowie seized her bridle. The feet of the frantic horses sprawled, their legs sank toward the ground. So abrupt was the halt that Carmen was pitched over her horse's head as he scrambled to keep his legs under him. The savage roar of the temblor as it wrenched the earth was ear-splitting. ear-splitting. Bowie leaped from his horse to raise Carmen from the ground, and he stood with her trembling trem-bling in his arms, trying to keep fectly, my son. I ask you to take, before all else, whatever measures are necessary to protect our Senorita Seno-rita for, as our benefactress, we feel that she is ours as well. Whatever What-ever may happen here, it is your duty to protect her." Bowie called Carmen into the conference. con-ference. He laid the situation before be-fore her. Padre, his hands clasped in anxiety, listened. She looked gade, told him at once that Bowie was not there. This was really what they wanted to know, inasmuch as he was the only man they were afraid of. The renegade rode away, and presently the attack on the gates was renewed. Fortunately, a few of the young Tularean Indian mission boys, inflamed with the spirit of their warlike ancestors, had seized muskets from the guardhouse, guard-house, and they fired at the raiders through the portholes. They did little damage, but they scared the cowardly squatters enough to hold them off. . The renegade, after a long time, rode back to the tower for another talk with Felipe. The party, he said, were ready to leave, provided the padre would set out a cask of wine as a gesture of good will. Felipe sent the message downstairs. down-stairs. Padre Martinez had retreated retreat-ed to the sacristy. He called in Padre Gomez, his assistant. The assistant was for the proposal, the padre, against it. Carmen was called in. She listened to all that was urged and without hesitation sided with the assistant. "Only," she added coolly, "set out a cask of brandy, not of wine. Those To square accounts with Bowie. backwash from the squatters. The two scouts in their search for Carmen Car-men had reconnoitered the river and the Melena. From a squatter straggler strag-gler they had learned that Blood was back with his friends but that supplies were low and they were talking of raiding the mission that night "If Blood undertakes this tonight it's not a good place for our Senorita," Seno-rita," said Bowie in the sacristy conference that followed. "He won't leave without plenty of fight But we'll see." The Texan declared that Carmen should be spirited away. "We'll have our hands full to take care of the Indian women if Blood starts in on brandy." from one to the otner ana DacK 10 Bowie in confidence. "You know best, Don Henry," she said trustfully. trust-fully. He called in Pardaloe and Simmie Sim-mie and told them what he meant to do. Felipe he dispatched to scout the quadrangle and search for an opening not covered by Blood's men. Felipe- came back with no good news. He shook his head. "Those men are everywhere." "Ben," he said to Pardaloe, "when the big gate is thrown open by Felipe, fire your pistols, you and Simmie and Felipe, straight into the crowd outside. I'll be shooting shoot-ing both pistols from the saddle while we dash through the bunch before they can shoot back. Cover Felipe with your rifles, boys, while he shuts and bars the gate after Towering trees whirled In circles. They had scarcely nnisnea tneir talk when a chorus of cheering yells out in front gave notice of fresh arrivals. Had there been any doubt as to this, a loud knocking came at the outer door. The padres looked to the Texan for guidance. He whispered to Carmen. She disappeared dis-appeared from the room. The knocking- grew violent "Put out the candle, Padre," said Bowie. "Then open the door." "Open the door?" echoed the blanching man as it was pounded loudly from the other side. "Don't be afraid," murmured Bowie. "No one will come in. Stand back, the rest of you, and keep out of range of the door." The Texan took his place just to the side of the door itself. "Throw it wide open," he directed. Open went the door. A flicker from the bonfire outlined the burly figure of the man who was knocking; knock-ing; other eager ones stood behind him. "Who's in there?" demanded the raider loudly. his own feet while he supported the half-conscious girl. Nature tossed and heaved in an agony of convulsion. Towering trees whirled in circles, whipped to the ground, now prostrate, now upright or snapped like matches at the base. And over the moaning and crashing crash-ing of the troubled darkness there spread a faint ghastly light such as never has been looked on save at moments such as this. In a fearful instant a silent and peaceful peace-ful landscape had been flung into an inferno of appalling destruction. Shock followed shock as the mighty temblor shook the earth in a cataclysm cata-clysm and tore yawning gulfs across its face, as if bent on making horror hor-ror complete. Bowie, breathing hard and completely com-pletely unstrung, held Carmen's head against him as she shook from head to foot, praying low and beseechingly. be-seechingly. Bowie pulled himself somewhat together. "Surely the worst is over, Carmelita," he exclaimed. "Let's wretches wiU be less dangerous drunk than sober. If it should occur oc-cur to them to set fire to the quarters, quar-ters, heaven knows what would happen hap-pen to us." Her counsel was followed. The gates were opened. A cask of bran- dy was rolled out. and a basket with drinking gourds was sent along. The renegade, with a heavy stone, broached the cask, and an orgy of drinking began. It absorbed the interest of the revelers for a time, to the exclusion of all else. For an hour that was long and anxious to the mission defenders the drunken yelling and singing went on. Then there came a knock at the sacristy door. Panic seized the little group. A whispered con-. con-. sultation followed. Knocking, grow-ig grow-ig momentarily more impa hen , continued. Only a wax candle light-y light-y ed the room and. with faces s blanched as they listened to the - Sounding, Carmen was told in , wh e ners to slip out and hide to the house Padre Martinez had already - given absolution to his assistant and , f '!L,H it from him, firmly bel.ev- us. Is it all clear?" "Clear as daylight, Henry," mumbled mum-bled Pardaloe. "Just say when." Felipe, aided by a neophyte, was bringing up the horses. Bowie began be-gan to check over the cinches. "Felipe," "Fe-lipe," he said in surprise, "what's the matter with these horses? They are trembling with sweat" "Senor, I know. I saw it Quien sabe? All the horses in the stable are sweating and nervous. I do not know why." Padre Martinez came out with Carmen. "Padte," said Bowie, "what does this mean these horses? See how they sweat and tremble." "Hasten, hasten, my son! Something Some-thing may happen. They know more than we do. Hasten!" exclaimed the agitated padre. Bowie mounted his restive horse. Pardaloe passed Carmen up into his arms to face him. "Clasp me under un-der the arms, querida, so as to leave my arms free. Hand me the hackamore for the Senorita's horse, Felipe." Bowie fastened this with knots for "Nobody's that's deaf," retorted Bowie. "What do you want, Blood?" "Oh! It's the rancho pet, eh? Well! I'm glad you're here.' "Don't waste your breath. You may need it Say what your business busi-ness is, or get off this property." Blood laughed truculently. "My Texan friend, I'm here to tell you you'll get off ,his Property before you are a half-hour older. I talk to Padre Martinez." "Here he is. Say your say." "Senor Blood." asked the padre, "what do you want?" "I want supplies for twenty-five men flour, bread, meat wine and brandy presto." "Senor Blood, you know no hungry hun-gry man is turned from this door, for you have been fed here more than once. But I have not such supplies in the mission tonight for five men. much less twenty-five." "I demand these supplies right now,' in the name of the United States of America." "And what will you do if you don't get them?" interposed Bowie casually. "Shut up. Bowie! My men must be fed. Pairs, you've got tons of food. If you can't find this food in look for the horses." But the search, punctuated by receding re-ceding quakes, was in vain. "There's nothing for it, Carmen, but to go back to the mission for horses." "But 'Quito," said Carmen, fearful, fear-ful, "we shall be killed by those guerillas." He tried to laugh: his throat had gone dry. "Never fear," he managed man-aged to say, "those wretches are miles away before this. It is a walk, but we must try. I will carry you, vida mia." "Not so. I am drag enough on you as it is. Vamos, querido." The rising moon began to shed a ghostly light over the desolate landscape. land-scape. The shock of the night of terrors keyed Carmen up to making mak-ing the long walk back without feeling feel-ing it. Ncaring the mission, a strange phenomenon confronted them. Their eyes were closely bent on discovering hidden guerillas gueril-las before they themselves should be discovered. Every clump of shrubs was skirted gingerly; every tree, prostrate or standing, was a possible hiding place for a skulker (TO nr. conUEn; I tan their hour was at hand ine venerable man now blessed himself. ked for protection from above, hand and, summoning St Michael to his aid, threw open the From the dark came a tart que tion- "What is the matter here. And Bowie, booted andpurred stalked into the room. Why you not open the door? An angel from heaven! ex claimed Padre Martinez. -pTdre Martinez." demanded r, Senorita Carmen has not ireebomSr She was here. Where is she?" Still here, senor! Thnnk God for tnatl Shi ? left this room when your knocking began." Why so?" drunken "We fearront hey know she is he.r,VhCre are your sold-s? ',Sabv the "'rne men. and they ip -till this fight is over ie,..What shall we do. senor? some play to the horn of his saddle. With Carmen snuggling low against him, he drew his pistols. "When the gate is opened," he said to the scouts, "send your pistol pis-tol fire straight into their faces and yell like Indians. Then poke our horses hard, and away we go. Are you ready? Open!" The dash out was a shock to the score of men, some on foot but most in the saddle, who were crowded crowd-ed around the big gate. The pistol fire, the yelling, the two horses prodded prod-ded and spurred, trampling and charging into the raiders, threw them into momentary confusion. Bowie, yelling, discharged his pistols pis-tols to the right and left The raiders raid-ers ducked and dodged as their horses reared on one another. A volley of oaths, an enraged yell from Blood, went up; a scattering flash of rifle and pistol fire lighted the plaza for an instant But the gate had clanged shut, and the phantom riders had melted into the darkness oi the night Long afterward Bowie learned that no two if the stunned guerillas agreed on who had ridden out |